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  • The Role of Gamification, AI, and Technology in Education

    Bill Reynolds’ passion centers on finding better ways to educate and engage our kids. This raises the question: should we stick with the traditional classroom setup where teachers lead from the front, or should we let students take center stage more often? I recently came across the work of Mitch Resnick from MIT, and his ideas helped me better understand the issue. Time to Upgrade Old-School Methods We often talk about the failures of the typical classroom scene - the teacher at the front, students taking notes, regular tests, etc. It works for teaching the basics, and there's something to be said for having clear goals and ways to measure progress. Some students even manage to succeed in this approach. But does this produce long-term lasting educational results for most kids? Is it the best way to teach? I’m skeptical. Reflecting on my own K-12 education, I’d guess that it’s holding back our students' creativity and problem-solving abilities. Resnick offers a solution. Building on ideas from education experts like Seymour Papert and Jean Piaget, Resnick, like the W.W. Reynolds Foundation, advocates for a "constructivist" approach. A constructionist approach centers around learning by doing - getting your hands dirty with real projects instead of memorizing facts. What Makes Student-Centered Learning Click From what I've seen, there are a few key things that make this new approach work: Getting Hands-On Instead of just listening to lectures, students create stuff. Resnick’s Scratch, a cool programming tool- allows kids to make their own games and animations. They learn coding. When observed, it feels more like students are having fun. Teachers as Guides, Not Lecturers Rather than being a “sage on stage,” teachers move to the “guide on the side” role. Teachers avoid being the all-knowing expert and act more like coaches or mentors. They're there to help when needed, but they let students explore and figure things out on their own first. Working Together There's a huge emphasis on teamwork and learning from classmates. It reminds me of Resnick's "Lifelong Kindergarten" project at MIT – which focuses on making learning playful and collaborative, just like kids naturally do in kindergarten. Following Your Curiosity What I love about this approach is it lets kids follow what interests them. Instead of forcing everyone down the same path, students get to dig into topics they care about. Making It Work in the Real World As a former teacher, I appreciate the value of peer-to-peer learning. I used to require my ethics students to debate each other. Students often reflected that they learned more in preparing for the debate than in a traditional lecture. However, I would have had trouble with some of the other suggestions How would I ensure that we covered the basic lessons required by the curriculum? What about if students don’t do the required pre-work to make this successful? We still need some way to measure progress and ensuring kids were learning what they need to know. The challenge is finding that sweet spot between structured learning and creative freedom. Maybe the solution isn’t choosing one approach over the other - it's combining the best aspects of both approaches. This may require using traditional methods for teaching fundamental skills and then switching to hands-on projects developing critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. How Technology Fits In Technology is the key here. It's not just about putting iPads in classrooms - it's about using tech to make learning more engaging and personal and to promote more beneficial constructivist approaches. Here are a few approaches seen working well: Games that make learning fun (like educational Minecraft or Scratch) AI tools that adapt to each student's pace, while maintaining teacher guidance and support during its use. Online platforms that make it easy for students to work together. Cool stuff like 3D printers and robotics kits allow kids to bring their ideas to life. To make technology truly additive, it’s essential that technology bring people together, not isolate them. The best tech tools encourage collaboration and discussion, not just solo screen time. Past educational technological advancements have failed because they lost the human-centered approach to education. Remember when we all thought the computer would take over the classroom? That never happened. Students still need the benefits of their peers and instructors to enhance their learning and more fully develop their social-emotional skills. Finding the Right Balance After reviewing this issue more, I'm convinced we don't have to pick sides. The best approach is probably a mix of both worlds - using traditional teaching for the basics while giving students plenty of chances to explore, create, and discover on their own. What really matters is preparing kids for the real world. They need solid fundamentals and the ability to think creatively and solve problems. When we let students take charge of their learning through hands-on projects, they're not just memorizing facts - they're learning how to learn, which is probably the most valuable skill we can give them. Education should light a fire in students' minds, not just flood their brains with information. Whether it's through coding, building, or creating art, giving students the freedom to explore and make things on their terms might be the key to keeping that spark alive. What to learn more? Works referenced and consulted: Papert, Seymour. Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas. Basic Books, 1980. (This foundational book by Papert introduces the idea of constructionism, the learning philosophy that heavily influenced Mitch Resnick’s work and approach to education through making.) Piaget, Jean. The Construction of Reality in the Child. Routledge, 1954. (Piaget’s theories on cognitive development provide the basis for constructivist education, emphasizing how children construct knowledge through interaction with their environment.) Resnick, Mitchel. Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity through Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play. The MIT Press, 2017. (Resnick’s book outlines his educational philosophy, emphasizing creative learning and the importance of play, project-based learning, and collaboration in the classroom. Resnick, Mitchel, and the Scratch Team. “Scratch: Programming for All.” Communications of the ACM, vol. 52, no. 11, 2009, pp. 60–67.) (This article explains the motivation and design of Scratch, a visual programming language that embodies Resnick's ideas on learning through making and creativity in education.) Kafai, Yasmin B., and Mitchel Resnick, editors. Constructionism in Practice: Designing, Thinking, and Learning in a Digital World. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1996. (This edited volume explores constructionist learning environments and the practical application of Papert and Resnick’s ideas in classrooms and educational technology.) Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. (Gee’s work on gamification and learning discusses how game-based elements can make education more engaging, which aligns with Resnick’s advocacy for playful, hands-on learning environments.) Means, Barbara, et al. Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. U.S. Department of Education, 2009. (This report provides evidence on the effectiveness of online and adaptive learning technologies, supporting Resnick’s argument for personalized, tech-enhanced education.) “Minecraft Education Edition.” Minecraft Education, Microsoft, education.minecraft.net/. (Minecraft Education Edition is an example of gamified, project-based learning that supports Resnick's vision of “learning through making,” as students engage in hands-on activities in a virtual world.)

  • A New Era in Education—Personalizing the Learning Experience

    In "The End of Average," Todd Rose compellingly argues against the antiquated notion of tailoring educational systems to an 'average' student—a concept that overlooks the uniqueness of each learner. This book challenges us to rethink educational structures and standards, advocating for a personalized approach that recognizes individual variances and potential. As a former professor with fifteen years of experience, I've observed firsthand the pitfalls of a one-size-fits-all approach in higher education. Traditional models often measure success against median benchmarks, failing to account for the diverse abilities and needs of students. This realization underscores the necessity for a significant paradigm shift towards more adaptable, student-centered learning environments. Personalizing Learning: A Shift Towards Flexibility Personalized, engaging learning, as championed by Rose, resonates deeply with the Foundation’s educational philosophy. It involves a departure from rigid curricula and standard testing, advocating instead for dynamic teaching methods that cater to varied learning styles and capabilities. This shift not only enhances student engagement and success but also prepares them for a rapidly changing world. For instance, integrating technology and gamification into curricula can provide customizable learning experiences, allowing students to excel on their own terms. Moreover, adopting modularized, flexible curricula allows students to explore their interests and develop their strengths, enhancing motivation and relevance in their educational journey. This approach also calls for a systemic change in how success is defined and measured in educational institutions, suggesting that accreditation processes should focus more on individual growth than uniform compliance. The Role of Philanthropy: The WW Reynolds Foundation's Mission Philanthropy plays a crucial role in this educational transformation. The WW Reynolds Foundation, with its commitment to fostering gamified and innovative educational opportunities, exemplifies the type of support needed to bring about such change. By funding initiatives like the World of Business  curriculum at the University of Colorado Boulder's Leeds School of Business, the Foundation has demonstrated its dedication to innovative and impactful educational practices. The Foundation’s initiatives emphasize student-centered learning, removing the “sage on stage” model and replacing it with educators acting as a “guide on the side,” allowing students to interact with each other and explore the concepts first-hand. This not only aligns with Rose's vision but also with the broader mission of making educational practices more effective. The Foundation’s support for data-driven strategies and flexible funding allows educational institutions to adapt resources to better fit the unique contexts of their students. A Call to Action Todd Rose's insights and the philanthropic mission of the WW Reynolds Foundation provide a potent blueprint for the future of education. They urge us to champion educational experiences that respect and celebrate each learner's unique potential and, perhaps more importantly, require students to think critically about the world around them. Embracing this call to action can transform our educational systems to be effective and reflective of the society we serve.

  • Play More: Can Games Make Us Better Citizens?

    The W.W. Reynolds Foundation’s vision is “to enhance educational opportunities and empower youngsters to pursue a life of meaning. The lack of civility in society is always on the mind of our founder, Bill Reynolds. How can the next generation pursue a life of meaning in the current climate? One idea that caught Bill’s attention years ago is gamification—adding game-like elements to the learning process. While it’s clear that games can make learning more fun, there’s a bigger question: can they help us become more thoughtful, civil citizens? Can they engage students in ways traditional educational approaches cannot?   What’s Gamification? When we discuss gamification outside the Foundation, there seems to be a bit of confusion about its meaning. Some conjure up images of simulations. Others imagine Jeopardy-style games designed to help students study. While these are certainly ways to incorporate games into education, we’re passionate about using games to teach the material. It’s about taking something that could feel boring—like political theory—and turning it into an engaging, active experience. More importantly, it puts students in the driver’s seat. They learn by doing instead of passively absorbing information. Students have to make decisions, test out ideas, and face the results of their actions. It’s like a fast-forward version of learning through experience (Adipat et al., 2021; Kelle et al., 2011).   And while this can be fun for kids, this isn’t just about having fun. It’s about encouraging deeper thinking that’s tough to get in a traditional classroom.   Dewey’s Reflective Thinking: The Secret Sauce? John Dewey, one of the greats in education, said that when we face a problem, we tend to go through a series of steps to solve it: identifying the problem, gathering information, coming up with possible solutions, testing them, and reflecting on the outcome (Dewey, 1933). What’s exciting to the W.W. Reynolds Foundation is that a well-designed gamified curriculum can do just that. Imagine a civics game where students manage a political campaign or solve a community issue. They start by identifying the problem (say, how to balance a budget), gathering information (exploring the options), and coming up with solutions (spending money on schools or roads?). Then, they test those ideas and see what happens. Finally, they reflect: what worked? What didn’t? Hands-on learning does more than cram facts into their heads (Raphael et al., 2012; Moore et al., 2014).   Can Games Teach Us to Be Better Citizens? WWRF is incredibly excited by the intersection of gamification and civics education. What if students were put in the driver’s seat and asked to create a new constitution? Think about it—students can run virtual political campaigns, navigate public policy, and solve local community problems. They wouldn’t simply be learning about theory; they’d be dealing with real-world applications and challenges that required negotiation, compromise, and ethical decision-making (Makri, 2021; Moore et al., 2014). Imagine if our kids had this type of learning early and often in their education.   Even more exciting is that the research confirms that students who play civic-focused games are more likely to talk about political issues and get involved in their communities (Moore et al., 2014). Students move from learning to doing –and understanding what it means to be a good, engaged, and responsible citizen. So, Can Games Make Us More Civil? They might! Civics-based games don’t just teach students theory. They’re teaching them to think critically and engage with each other and the world around them. We’re all feeling a bit divided these days. We could use more people who can think critically, collaborate, and build empathy for others (Kelle et al., 2011).   The Roadblock: Lack of Standardization One challenge with gamification is the lack of standardization. So many different platforms and approaches make scalability and availability a challenge. The ICOPER Reference Model provides a potential solution: it offers a way to standardize game design to share these impactful learning experiences across classrooms and institutions (Kelle et al., 2011).   Where Do We Go From Here? At the W.W. Reynolds Foundation, we’re excited about what gamification could mean for the future of education, especially in civics. By connecting gamified learning with Dewey’s Reflective Thinking, we hope to fund and support projects that offer students a more engaging way to learn and a better way to connect with the world. And who knows—maybe through these experiences, we can become a little more civil.   Resources and Citations: Adipat, S., Laksana, K., Busayanon, K., Asawasowan, A., & Adipat, B. (2021). Engaging students in the learning process with game-based learning: The fundamental concepts. International Journal of Technology in Education (IJTE).   Makri, E. (2021). Can game-based learning facilitate civics, negotiation, and conflict management attributes? International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education (IJCDSE).   Raphael, C., Bachen, C. M., & Hernández-Ramos, P. F. (2012). Flow and cooperative learning in civic gameplay. New Media and Society.   Costikyan, G. (2002). I have no words & I must design: Toward a critical vocabulary for games. Proceedings of Computer Games and Digital Cultures Conference.   Moore, C. D., Beshke, C. A., & Bohan, C. H. (2014). Simulations and games in the civics classroom. Social Studies Research and Practice.   Kelle, S., Klemke, R., Gruber, M., & Specht, M. (2011). Standardization of game-based learning design. ICOPER Reference Model.   Dewey, J. (1933). How We Think: A Restatement of the Relation of Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process. Boston: D.C. Heath & Co.

  • Bridging Economic Insights with Political Promises: A Call for Realistic Policymaking

    As the U.S. election season unfolds, the promises made by political figures often bring with them the allure of immediate relief or benefits without a clear acknowledgment of the economic costs involved. Drawing from an insightful memo on this subject published by Oaktree Capital Management on September 19, 2024, this blog post aims to dissect the gap between economic theories and political promises, encouraging a more informed and realistic approach to policy advocacy. The Reality of Economic Trade-offs In an era where political promises are plentiful, Oaktree underscores a crucial economic principle: there is no such thing as a free lunch. This principle is vividly illustrated in the context of current political promises like tariff impositions by former President Trump and Vice President Harris’s focus on grocery profiteering. Both examples, although politically appealing, fail to account for the economic complexities and the costs they impose on the economy. Historical Insights on Economic Systems North and South Korea serve as a powerful historical lesson on the impacts of different economic systems. South Korea’s capitalist approach has led to significant economic prosperity compared to North Korea’s stagnant command economy. Such historical examples are crucial for understanding the long-term consequences of economic policies. T he Complexity of Market Dynamics Price gouging reveals the multi-faceted nature of price changes, which are influenced by a variety of factors including supply chain disruptions, shifts in demand due to the pandemic, and government stimulus measures. This complexity challenges the simple narrative of corporate greed and highlights the need for a nuanced understanding of economic principles in policy formulation. The Ineffectiveness of Price Controls As seen in the U.S. in the 1970s and more recently from Venezuela, there is compelling evidence of the ineffectiveness of price controls. These measures, while intended to curb inflation or reduce costs for essentials, often lead to decreased supply and economic inefficiency, ultimately failing to achieve their intended goals. The Cautionary Tale of Rent Control New York City’s rent control policies illustrate the unintended consequences of well-intentioned economic regulations. These policies have stifled the incentive to build or improve housing units, leading to a chronic shortage and deterioration of available housing. This example serves as a cautionary tale for policymakers about the complexities of market interventions. Conclusion: Advocating for Policy Grounded in Economic Realities Our country needs policies that respect economic realities and the laws of supply and demand. As the WW Reynolds Foundation continues to engage in economic and social policy discussions, this perspective is essential for crafting policies that are not only well-intentioned but also effective and sustainable. The bridge between economic insight and political action is fraught with challenges, yet understanding these complexities is crucial for realistic policymaking. By aligning political promises with economic truths, we can foster a more informed electorate and more effective governance. Reference: This discussion is based on a memo from Oaktree Capital Management, published on September 19, 2024, which provides a deep dive into the interplay between economic realities and political promises, illustrating the essential balance needed in effective policy-making.

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